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Ok, I've been working on getting my game to a state of visual appearance (modeling some stuff in 3ds max 2008). But I've been having some difficulty with measurements and such. Here are some questions that I have for anyone who can answer them. Specifically about level design.
1. When modeling things such as a city or building, which measurements do I use in 3ds Max in order to make an entire city to fit into a game world?
2. I need tips on making a semi-futuristic city, but I can't seem to get anywhere researching myself on the internet for references or other types of inspiration. Any ideas?
3. If it were possible, how would I go about getting these answered by a level designer that has worked on an open-world/sandbox game?
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2. Look at all forms of media - Star Wars tends to be the default, but that might be too sci-fi. Try Crackdown for a game with semi-futuristic city. Movie wise the classic is Bladerunner - try also Strange Days, Equilibrium, Judge Dredd, Demolition Man, etc, etc. Try looking on concept art websites also. A great site for all sorts of imagery is http://www.darkroastedblend.com/ or try http://www.trekearth.com/ for photos from across the globe. Look at architects like Frank Lloyd Wright, Coibusier, or Gehry
3. That I can't tell you, but I have worked on 7 more linear titles in various design roles. The only thing to bear in mind with open world is sheer scale of how much work is involved. That and you will need a good streaming system.
Also, sometimes good ol' trial and error is best. make an object of a modest size.. import that object and see how big it is.. using that you establish a sense of scale.
Also scale in terms of an engine is often totally relevant. as long as all your game objects made in max are consistent with each other.. you would just apply a similar scale to them all in game.. or just customize each one (most likely you'll want to do that anyway).